The present invention relates to refrigeration systems, specifically to heat exchangers, which may be used as condensers or evaporators, in the refrigeration systems.
Previous heat exchangers usually include headers which are used to introduce refrigerant to or receive refrigerant from the tubes of the heat exchanger. A problem with previous headers was that the refrigerant, oil, or other coolant was not distributed in an optimal fashion. The uneven distribution of the refrigerant resulted in poor performance of the heat exchanger and its refrigeration system.
An additional problem with some previous heat exchangers was the walls of the headers were too thin for the size of their passage, and the header could easily be damaged resulting in a need for replacing the heat exchanger. The use of thin-walled tubes is especially noticeable in previous heat exchangers having flattened headers. In heat exchangers utilizing flattened headers, the headers could be easily dented and the passageways therethrough become blocked resulting in a need to replace the heat exchanger.
A heat exchanger header which provides for more efficient distribution of the refrigerant, and which includes walls having sufficient strength to avoid being damaged would be highly desirable.
The present invention provides a heat exchanger including a plurality of thermally-conductive, fluid-conveyance tubes, and at least one header from which each of the plurality of fluid-conveyance tubes extends. The header includes an elongate outer tube and an elongate inner tube disposed eccentrically within the outer tube, with a fluid conduit being defined between the inner tube and the outer tube. The plurality of fluid conveyance tubes are in fluid communication with the conduit.
The present invention further provides a heat exchanger including means for conveying fluid in the heat exchanger, and at least one header from which the means for conveying fluid extends. The header includes an elongate outer tube and an elongate inner tube eccentrically disposed within the outer tube, with a fluid path being defined between the outer tube and the inner tube. The means for conveying fluid is in fluid communication with the fluid path.
The present invention further provides a header for a heat exchanger including an elongate outer tube, an elongate inner tube eccentrically disposed in the outer tube, and a fluid conduit being defined between the outer tube and the inner tube.
The present invention further provides a refrigeration system including a hermetic compressor assembly, fluid lines extending from the hermetic compressor assembly, a flow restriction device operatively coupled to the compressor assembly via the fluid lines, and at least one heat exchanger operatively coupled to the compressor assembly and the flow restriction device via the fluid lines. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of thermally-conductive, fluid-conveyance tubes, and at least one header from which each of the plurality of fluid-conveyance tubes extends. The header includes an elongate outer tube and an elongate inner tube disposed eccentrically within the outer tube, with a fluid conduit being defined between the inner tube and the outer tube. Each of the plurality of fluid-conveyance tubes is in fluid communication with the conduit.